What is up with the Obama hate on SNL?

[msallied]

Is there actual objective reasoning behind it, or is it more of a calculated "we don't want to look like we're sucking up to the guy too much, so we have to just make up shit" move?

It seems to me they're joining in the "Obama's not doing anything" media pile on and their sketches reflect that same lack of critical thinking. I don't expect SNL to be sycophantic, but when there is no truth to your satire, then it's just a comedy fail.

[bigwillq]

1. They make fun of presidents.

It's what they do. Some people think he has done "nothing". They may be playing to that base for now.

[timeforpeace]

44. They hammered Bush for years. Did you call that Bush hate?

[bigwillq]

46. I had no issue with them hammering Bush

and I don't have any issue with them hammering Obama. It's a comedy show. And making fun of politicians is one of their biggest draws.

[timeforpeace]

49. Meant the OP, misplaced post. Your point is excellent and spot on.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

57. It's one thing if the satire was based in fact or truth. SNL are being disingenuous at best. n/t

[msallied]

62. It was funny because there was a root of truth.

They can hammer OBama all they want, but once they start having to lying in order to make jokes, then it goes from being funny to being disingenuous.

[treestar]

2. They make fun of everybody

At least one of them is the current President - going back to when Chevy Chase was Ford.

[msallied]

4. I understand that. Truly I do. And most of the time, it's actually pretty funny.

I loved the Clinton stuff, for instance. But this is just really weak stuff and has no real basis in truth.

[treestar]

10. Could be they are just starting to jump the shark

That show has been on over 30 years now, and isn't what it once was.

[bertman]

38. msallied, it could be "weak stuff" because you are a big fan of the President. They are

trying hard but I haven't been impressed either.

Now, if you saw the James Carville skit a bit later, that was righteously funny. Perfect imitation.

[msallied]

60. I agree. Carville was fantastic!

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. Yeah, but that was funny.

Darrel Hammond's Clinton character is still funny. Dana Carvey's Poppy Bush was funny. Tina Fey's Moosealini was hilarious. Will Ferrel's Chimpy was funny (the guy that did it after him, not so much)

But Armisen (or whoever writes the shit for him) seems to be taking FAUX/Hate Radio talking points and trying to turn that into "comedy".

And it's about as "funny" as that stupid right wing "comic strip" Mallard Fillmore. Or FAUX's pathetic attempt to clone The Daily Show that lasted about a month.

[timeforpeace]

45. They've got four years to improve the "funny" of the Obama routines, be patient.

[Sebastian Doyle]

55. You mean "eight years", don't you?

Careful, you're slipping......

[Enrique]

3. what would you like them to satirize about Obama?

how awesome he is?

[msallied]

6. I honestly don't know. lol

I'm just at a loss for how bad the Obama material actually is.

[Garam_Masala]

29. If the Obama material was bad, then the ratings would show it

Anybody know how SNL ratings have been during the Obama skits?

[Drunken Irishman]

15. I think they could make fun of him like they did Carter...

There was a skit where Carter ran a White House radio show and callers could call in with their problems. Dan Aykroyd played Carter and one of the callers needed to come down from a high or something. So Carter talks him down. haha

It was fucking hilarious.

Maybe he can walk around the White House and try to fix everything, only to find out he isn't capable of doing everything at once.

Something like that.

But there is a difference between being satirical and pushing a lie.

Remember how hurt Gore was by the SNL debate skits in 2000? Bush wasn't, but they made Gore look like a complete jackass.

[msallied]

17. "But there is a difference between being satirical and pushing a lie."

Exactly. It utterly fails as satire, which is their job. It is not their job to parrot the talking points of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. It is not their job to keep people stupid by perpetuating the lie that Obama isn't doing anything.

[msallied]

20. Furthermore, it is damaging. Tina Fey proved singlehandedly that when SNL wants to...

they can affect public perception. Americans are particularly drawn to satire to help separate the wheat from the chaff in politics, and if this is what they're getting out of it, then it's only going to strengthen the lie that the President isn't, in fact, doing anything.

[Drunken Irishman]

23. I think the way they handed Clinton in the 90s was almost perfect.

I loved the Clinton skits from the 90s.

There was one from the early years of the Clinton presidency where he's portrayed by Phil Hartman. I guess he's out jogging and stops off at a McDonalds and just begins eating people's food while he explains complex policy. It was roll on the floor funny.

You can be funny and biting at the same time without looking cheap.

What made Palin's skits so amazing were the fact 90% of the time, they used her own fucking words and actions (like the call out and winks in the debates).

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

73. 'I...am...bulletproof.'

"Next time you best come at me with kryptonite."

This was the whole skit when Clinton beat the Repugs' attempt to impeach him.

The best line ever delivered ever on SNL.

[tomg]

86. I still remember the Carter skit.

talking the guy down. Personally, I think SNL is pretty played out at this point.

[WeDidIt]

5. IT might actually be funny if Fred Armisen could actually DO Obama

His impersonation gets worse as time goes by.

[bigwillq]

7. Yeah, his impersonation is bad.

I think it diminishes the skit no matter what angle they're doing.

[msallied]

8. You may be onto something. Maybe it's the delivery that sucks.

And I can't get past that. I don't mind them making fun of presidents of any party. This stuff just fails week after week. It reads like comedy written on Freeperville.

[BeyondGeography]

11. Exactly...so fucking lazy on their part

Find a good Obama impersonator, fer crying out loud.

[WeDidIt]

50. IF they had Alphacat doing the exact same sketches

it would be hilarious.

I guarantee, the writing is solid. Armisen simply cannot do Obama.

[Autumn]

9. That's what they do,

it used to be a comedy show.

[Bumblebee]

12. overly compensating for Tina Fey?

in a "fair and balanced" mode?

[msallied]

13. That's what it seems like.

[emulatorloo]

16. Yes you nailed it -- "fair and balanced", and about as ham handed as Fox is about it. n/t

[valerief]

18. SNL has been RW for decades. nt

[msallied]

19. I don't think they were RW with the past election of Sarah Palin.

[valerief]

27. Tina Fey's impression was an exception in decades. SNL is still RW. nt

[blm]

28. There are some events that write themselves and are undeniable - like Palin.

SNL during 2008 election were like newsmedia after Katrina - news outlets who had been circled around Bush for over 5 years actually HAD to report something that corresponded with the live pictures - IF they could have spun it for Bush they would have....but....they couldn't.

If Giuliani had been the VP.....you would REALLY see Lorne Michael's GOP licking in fullswing.

[rebel with a cause]

32. It depends on who is writing the stuff.

The last three shows have just sucked as far as I am concerned. Obama's stuff has been very biased, untrue and unfunny but then none of the rest of the stuff has been funny either. Saturday night I kept watching hoping it would get better for Drew Barrymore's sake but finally gave up and changed the channel half way through.

As far as Obama is concerned, they could have done something on his aggressive basketball playing with one of his opponents making a statement about him not being a peace maker on the court and then have other people make other silly statements about it including a few right wingers. I know my idea is dumb but I think it would still be funnier than what they did.

As far as I am concerned SNL has its good seasons and its bad seasons. Last year was a pretty good one. So far this year it is one that sucks. They need to be getting new writers now as I speak because the ones they have are not very talented.

[timeforpeace]

47. Yes, that's it. It's obvious. Lorne Michaels is a rightie.

[valerief]

58. His show sure is. nt

[vaberella]

21. They try to make fun of everyone. Sometimes it's just not funny.

As in the case of the President...they seem to always be trying too hard.

[Hippo_Tron]

22. SNL hasn't been good for years, their writers probably can't think of good satire

I honestly don't think there is a political motive, their writers just suck.

[timeforpeace]

48. Well, you're seeing a big upturn in their popularity that is likely to continue.

[backscatter712]

24. SNL eats sacred cows for breakfast.

Don't think Obama or anyone is immune to the mockery of late-night comedy.

Even Obama screws up, and SNL is just letting him know. :evilgrin:

[HopeOverFear]

25. I said the same thing last night

after watching Weekend Update. That was such bullshit. They must have republicans on their writing team or something.

[bertman]

39. You have to be kidding. The interview with "James Carville" was absolutely hilarious.

Perfect imitation down to the last detail. Speech patterns and drawl were exactly right. Same old smart-ass, sarcastic, snippy, Carville wit.

On edit: not to mention that he was lambasting Rush Limbaugh and the Republicans. You need to go back and watch that one again if you didn't "get it". Bill Hayder was killer.

[Beacool]

26. It's a question of perspective.

If you like Obama then you will not think that the last two weeks intros were very funny. I'm sure conservatives didn't think that Fey's portrayal of Palin was all that funny either. It too perpetuated myth as reality. For example, Palin never said that she could see Russia from her window but most people think that she did. In reality, it was Fey who said it.

One thing though, the guy doing Obama hasn't mastered his speech pattern at all.

:)

[uponit7771]

30. Armisens impersonation of Obama is indicative of the skit writing; half ass'd, that's what makes it

...unfunny and then throw in the factual incorrectness and there you have it.

[fugop]

31. Their Obama is just so flat

The really great impressions they've done over the years have been able to show the good and bad in the political figures. Clinton was usually shown as a brilliant, charimatic horndog. Poehler's Hillary Clinton was brilliant and strong, and the funny parts were often the subtext, where she would point out realities (sexism, for example) and no one listened. It was so close to real life it killed you. Fey's Palin was charismatic but empty. Ferrrell's Bush was dopey but fun-loving (I didn't see him that way, but many people did). Cheney was ... well, smart but evil.

But their Obama just comes across as boring. They leave out the charisma that even the right begrudgingly points to. They leave out the ability to give a great speech. He's just flat and boring. That's why it's not that funny to me. Without some truth of what makes him popular, it's just a flat portrayal of ... I don't know what. But it just rings false. And this is from someone who used to laugh hysterically at SNL's Ford, where Chevy Chase didn't even TRY to look or sound like Ford. But then again, I knew so little about Ford (I was pretty young) that I didn't need a deeper impersonation. I guess now, after some really great political portrayals on the show, I'm just disappointed in the lack of effort they seem to put into fleshing out Obama as a "character" on the show.

[uponit7771]

83. YEAP!! During the 90s I couldn't stay away from SNL

[Davis_X_Machina]

33. Community of interest...

...between the "Obama sold us out" progressive forces writing the show and NBC/GE, defense contractor to the stars, paying their salaries.

[Cha]

34. Why don't you ask them?

http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Contact_Us/

[HopeOverFear]

36. good idea.

[TheCowsCameHome]

35. It's SNL. It's what they do.

They play no favorites.

edit:sp

[Cha]

40. Problem is..they didn't have to make up shit about

the other Prezes but they do about PO. Too bad bc the truth is always funnier. They're lazyass and grabbing from the repuke playbook.

[Cha]

42. Problem is..they didn't have to make up shit

the other Prezes but they do about PO. Too bad bc the truth is always funnier. They're lazyass and grabbing from the repuke playbook.

[onenote]

37. Hate? Oh please

Armisen may not be a good Obama impersonator and the jokes may fall flat, but "hate"? Puh-leeze.

They make fun of everyone and they do it through exaggeration. If the story in the press is that that it was surprising that Obama received the nobel prize they are going to exaggerate that story in an effort to get laughs.

Folks need to chill. I bet Obama and his team thought the part of Weekend Update where they reported on kids getting named valedictorian or miss america was actually pretty funny.

[Malikshah]

41. At least since the late 90s SNL has been home to a group of self-indulgent, pseudo-intellectual

misogynist people.

Brief blips with Tina Fey notwithstanding (hello Stockholm syndrome much), this show has been quite vile. Why folks still discuss it, idolize, and/or view it as being au courant is beyond me.

After 9/11/01 the 9/11-Republicans and libertarians took over. It's only become worse.

They were 100000000x easier on the previous regime even though they poked fun at it.

Ask yourself-- how many women are writing now? How many cast members are women? Minorities? LGBT? Nope. It's all an incestuous circle of frat-like douches who think they're funny. Remember, though....DWTS is a big hit as well in the country...

[TomCADem]

43. Arnisan Is Not Even Attempting To Sound Like Obama

Fred Arnisan is not going to remind anyone of Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin. The problem I see with Arnisan is that it just is not that funny, because he simply does not sound like President Obama or even capture his mannerisms. So, Fred Arnisan's President Obama tends to come off as a bit shrill, which contrasts with the President Obama that most liberals get upset with, because he isn't mad enough.

They ought to junk Arnisan, and get a cast member who at least has a deep voice.

[Phx_Dem]

51. I thought last night was pretty funny. I hated last week's sketch because

because I didn't think it was based in truth. Last night's Nobel skit was based on fact; they just spun it to make it funny. The "I won because I'm not Bush" remark is at least partly true. The impact that his election has already made on the world had to have played some part in their decision, in addition to the other reasons cited by the Nobel committee chair.

The part that made me laugh out loud was the part about the 3:00 am call! Now, that was funny.

:rofl:

[AngryAmish]

52. THey are racists

pure and simple

[joeycola]

53. your kidding right?

[stray cat]

54. Equal opportunity comedy

[msallied]

61. Except it fails as comedy when it's based in pure lies.

[ItNerd4life]

70. Do you like it when Jon Stewart makes fun of him?

Maybe you just don't like it because they are poking fun at your candidate.

There are a few in every political party who don't like it when their candidate is made fun of.

[Hippo_Tron]

84. When Jon Stewart makes fun of him it's actually funny

Jon Stewart mostly takes video footage of Obama saying things that are dumb or at least funny out of context. And yes even extremely eloquent Presidents like Obama say dumb things on a regular basis, as it comes with the territory of being on camera for hours a day.

Of course with Bush it was just too easy because pretty much everything he said was dumb.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

56. Loren M. was a huge Hillary Clinton fan. n/t

[gauguin57]

59. Obama is hard to make fun of ... he's so smart and capable and serious.

They have to find something. It's their job as comedians. Doesn't bother me. But they could be more creative.

Remember the skit with Dan Akroyd as Jimmy Carter taking phone calls from the public? Someone called having a bad drug trip, and Jimmy "talked him down." It was hilarious ... because Pres. Carter was so smart and serious, too and the incongruousness of the skit made it a hoot.

Transcript (I believe Bill Murray was Walter Cronkite fielding the calls):

Walter Cronkite: ... Our next call is Peter Elkin of Westbrook, Oregon, whom I am told is 17 years of age.

Peter (on phone): Hello? Hello?

President Jimmy Carter: Yes. Hello, Peter?

Peter (on phone): Is this the President?

President Jimmy Carter: Yes, it is.

Walter Cronkite: Do you have a question for the President?

Peter (on phone): Uh.. I, uh.. I took some acid.. I'm afraid to leave my apartment, and I can't wear any clothes.. and the ceiling is dripping, and uh.. I, uh..

Walter Cronkite: Well, thank you very much for calling, sir..

President Jimmy Carter: Just a minute, Walter, this guy's in trouble. I think I better try to talk him down. Peter?

Peter (on phone): Yeah..?

President Jimmy Carter: Peter, what did the acid look like?

Peter (on phone): They were these little orange pills.

President Jimmy Carter: Were they barrel shaped?

Peter (on phone): Uh.. yes.

President Jimmy Carter: Okay, right, you did some orange sunshine, Peter.

Peter (on phone): Very good of you to know that, sir.

President Jimmy Carter: How long ago did you take it, Peter?

Peter (on phone): Uh.. I don't know. I can't read my watch.

President Jimmy Carter: Alright, Peter, just listen. Everything is going to be fine. You're very high right now. You will probably be that way for about five more hours. Try taking some vitamin B complex, vitamin C complex.. if you have a beer, go ahead and drink it..

Peter (on phone): Okay..

President Jimmy Carter: Just remember you're a living organism on this planet, and you're very safe. You've just taken a heavy drug. Relax, stay inside and listen to some music, Okay? Do you have any Allman Brothers?

Peter (on phone): Yes, I do, sir. Everything is okay, huh Jimmy?

President Jimmy Carter: It sure is, Peter. You know, I'm against drug use myself, but I'm not going to lay that on you right now. Just mellow out the best you can, okay?

Peter (on phone): Okay..!

President Jimmy Carter: Okay.

[msallied]

63. LOL. That actually was funny.

And I think you are right in why the Obama sketches fall flat. The writing is really taking a nosedive. but then what SEth Myers said about Obama in Weekend Update about the "call to action" was another cheap shot. They barely redeemed themselves with Carville.

[msallied]

64. Oh, and are the unrecs really unnecessary??

[harun]

67. They were not necessary.

[msallied]

80. Yeah, that's what I meant. lol Thanks.

[Name removed]

74. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[timeforpeace]

76. The thinner your skin appears, the more they will try to draw blood.

[Name removed]

79. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[philly_bob]

65. I understand Lorne Michaels is generally Republican.

Humor on SNL tends to be superficial: exaggerating one-dimensional media-hyped characteristics of celebrities. Humor based on Bush was more on pretzel-eating accidents than on the horrors of an unnecessary war.

Actually, the smear on Obama was NOT superficial. It hurt.

[onenote]

69. you "understand"? Do you have any basis for that "understanding"?

I don't like it when DUers play the "some say" (or "I understand") game any more than I like it when the media or repubs do it.

Michaels' history of contributions establishes that he has been generally quite supportive of Democrats and Democratic organizations over the years. The one repub that he has supported over the years is McCain (but not in the general presidential election campaign).

http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Lorne_Michaels.php

[philly_bob]

82. Here's some attributions.

How long you guys been watching SNL? Michaels' righty sympathies are pretty clear.

Here's something about Michaels from a right-wing blog.

http://www.eisenstadtgroup.com/2008/09/16/dont-worry-about-snl-lorne-michaels-a-mccain-contributor/

"Stop worrying about Saturday Night Live: Lorne Michaels is a close friend and contributor to John McCain."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/18/634462/-Poll:Is-Lorne-Michaels-trying-to-help-Sarah-Palin

"It has been well documented that Lorne Michaels is a dyed in the wool Gooper and friend of McCain. SNL only takes a lefty viewpoint because Michaels is smart enough to know his demographic."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/8863.html

"Even before he officially entered the race, McCain attracted Hollywood support for his leadership PAC, raising money from the likes of “Saturday Night Live” Executive Producer Lorne Michaels, then-NBC Universal CEO Bob Wright, entertainment attorney Jake Bloom and actor Dennis Hopper. He lunched with Warren Beatty and hosted small gatherings with producers, managers and studio executives."

His recent cash contributions to Democrats may represent a rich man's attempt to switch course.

There's a half hour I'll never get back.

[onenote]

88. "recent" cash contributions to Democrats? your're kidding right?

Did you even bother to look at Michaels history of contributions?

1980-1984
Democrats: $2000
Repubs: zero

1985-1989
Democrats: $3000
Repubs: zero

1990-1994:
Democrats: $4250
Repubs: zero

1995-1999:
Democrats: $10,000
Repubs: zero

2000-2004
Democrats:$23,000
Repubs (McCain): $2,000
Ind: (Nader):$1,000

2005-2009:
Democrats: $20,000
Repubs (mccain)$3,300

A list of the Democrats who have received money from Michaels: Franken, Dodd, Kerry, Obama, Berman, Mark Greene, Julian Bond, Moynihan, Cranston, Bradley, Schumer, Carper, Graham.

A list of the repubs who have received money from Michaels: McCain.

[philly_bob]

91. If those figures are right, them I'm wrong.

Michaels gave no money at all to a Republican between 1980 and 2000?

If that's the case, I'm wrong about the contributions.

I'm really surprised, one-note, and for whatever reason you defend Michaels, I grant you have made your point (without going to the campaign records source) to check.

It will take more than cash contributions to convince me that Michaels' SNL work shows a Democratic tilt, however. Do you recognize the difference between the comedic work product of someone like Jon Stewart -- incisive, iconoclastic, really funny -- and the work of Lorne Michaels?

[onenote]

89. delete dupe

[spoony]

75. Here are his contributions:

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=michaels%2C+lorne&state=NY&zip=&employ=&cand=&c2010=Y&c2008=Y&c2006=Y&sort=N&capcode=mzvsg&submit=Submit

MICHAELS, LORNE
NEW YORK,NY 10023 BROADWAY VIDEO/PRODUCER 6/29/06 $5,000 CHRIS PAC (D)
Michaels, Lorne
New York,NY 10019 NBC 8/27/08 $2,300 Obama, Barack (D)
Michaels, Lorne
New York,NY 10019 NBC 8/27/08 $2,300 Obama, Barack (D)
MICHAELS, LORNE
NEW YORK,NY 10023 NBC/BROADWAY VIDEO/WRITER/PRODUCER 3/31/07 $2,300 Franken, Al (D)
MICHAELS, LORNE
NEW YORK,NY 10023 NBC/BROADWAY VIDEO/WRITER/PRODUCER 2/7/06 $2,000 Midwest Values PAC (D)
MICHAELS, LORNE
NEW YORK,NY 10023 NBC/BROADWAY VIDEO 11/23/08 $1,000 Franken, Al (D)
MICHAELS, LORNE MR
NEW YORK,NY 10019 BROADWAY VIDEO ENTERT/PRODUCER 3/5/07 $2,300 Dodd, Chris (D)
MICHAELS, LORNE MR
NEW YORK,NY 10019 BROADWAY VIDEO ENTERT/PRODUCER 3/5/07 $2,300 Dodd, Chris (D)
MICHAELS, LORNE MR
NEW YORK,NY 10023 SNL/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER 5/11/07 $1,300 McCain, John (R)
MICHAELS, LORNE MR
NEW YORK,NY 10023 SNL/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER 3/31/07 $1,000 McCain, John (R)
MICHAELS, LORNE MR
NEW YORK,NY 10019 SNL/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER 10/19/06 $1,000 Straight Talk America (R)
MICHAELS, LORNE MR
NEW YORK,NY 10019 8/21/08 $-2,300 Dodd, Chris (D)


I'm not sure what that last line means with the -2300, so discounting that I've come up with $19,500 To Dems and $3,300 to Reps. And all the ones since May 07 have been for Dems.

[timeforpeace]

77. Yes, all Republicans donate that kind of money to Democrats.

[harun]

66. I DVR'd the show over the weekend because I wanted to check out

the musical guest. I watched part of the rest of the show and couldn't even keep it on. The show is horrible now, unwatchable.

The Obama piece was poorly done and not funny. They should have been poking fun at Health Insurance company lobbiest's and CEO's, the freepers defending them and the Corporate Media abetting them.

[zulchzulu]

68. SNL helped make Gore "boring" and helped paint Kerry as "elitist", so what do we expect?

The writers at SNL might not realize that Republicans and Teabaggers don't watch their shit.

If you're a drunk, uneducated jock loner (who would think SNL is actually funny) who is sitting at home on a Saturday night, you would chortle that Obama is getting "nothing done". You would probably also fall asleep before the band comes on.

[joeycola]

71. and they took shots at Repugs also. Its what they do.

[undeterred]

72. Its not a good cast, not a good show so far this season.

They are trying too hard to be funny and it doesn't work.

[a la izquierda]

78. I didn't know anyone still watched it.

With the exception of Tina Fey last year, the show has sucked for a long time.

[Kaleva]

81. They make fun of every President since the show first aired.

Ford wasn't even close to the klutz SNL portrayed him to be.

[Orsino]

85. Gentle-spirited satirical humor is easy to confuse with hate...

...when it's so damned unfunny.

[Baikonour]

87. It doesn't matter. SNL stopped being relevant years ago.

Some of the worst writing on television, hands down. It's atrocious.

[QC]

90. Come to think of it, they also hated Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush.

I think there might be a pattern here.